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Michael Pham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Michael Pham
Bishop of San Diego
Pham in 2023
Native name
Micae Phạm Minh Cường
DioceseSan Diego
AppointedMay 22, 2025
InstalledJuly 17, 2025
PredecessorRobert W. McElroy
Previous post
Orders
OrdinationJune 25, 1999
by Robert Brom
ConsecrationSeptember 28, 2023
by Robert W. McElroy, Joseph J. Tyson, and John P. Dolan
Personal details
BornPhạm Minh Cường
(1967-01-27) January 27, 1967 (age 59)
Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam
Education
Motto
  • United in Christ
  • (Hiệp nhất trong Chúa Kitô)
Styles
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

Michael Cuong Minh Pham (born January 27, 1967) is a Vietnamese American Catholic prelate serving as Bishop of San Diego since 2025. From 2023 to 2025, he served as an auxiliary bishop of the diocese.

Biography

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Early life

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The oldest son in his family, Phạm Minh Cường,[1] was born on January 27, 1967, in Da Nang in what was then South Vietnam. Pham's father, who served in the South Vietnamese military, was considered an "enemy of the state" by the government after the Fall of Saigon, and as a result, his properties were confiscated, and he was put in a re-education camp. He was eventually released and became a fisherman.[2]

At ten years old, Pham was initially inspired to become a priest after seeing a local priest who was very involved with the parishioners and kind to everyone.[3]

Emigration and education

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In July 1980, when Pham was 13, he, his older sister, and younger brother fled Vietnam by boat with very little food, water, or personal belongings.[3] The boat had 119 occupants, but was designed for half the number on board, and was raided by pirates. Pham later recounted the conditions, stating that “We were jammed in like sardines. There was barely room to sit down,” and that he got very seasick during the journey.[2]

Eventually, their boat was picked up by another boat and brought to Bidong refugee camp in Malaysia,[4] Pham and his siblings stayed there for three months before being fast-tracked for admission to the United States because they were minors.[2] The siblings were brought to Seattle via Japan, where the three were brought in by a host family from Blue Earth, Minnesota by 1981. Eventually, his 12-year-old sister made the journey by herself and joined them, with the rest of the family following suit over the next two years. Pham's father took a trip to San Diego and decided to relocate the family there a month later in 1985.[2][5]

Initially starting high school in Minnesota,[2] Pham graduated from San Diego High School and then entered San Diego State University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering.[6][5] While working on his master's degree at San Diego State, Pham decided to enter the priesthood. He attended Saint Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, where he earned a Systematic Theology Baccalaureate and a Master of Divinity degree.[6][5] He later recalled while presiding at Mass during the Marian Days pilgrimage in Carthage, Missouri that while attending the annual event in 1992, he prayed before the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the chapel, and that this moment confirmed his vocation.[7]

Priesthood

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On June 25, 1999, Pham was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of San Diego by Bishop Robert Henry Brom at Saint Michael Church in Poway.[8] His first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Parish in Oceanside. He left St. Mary in 2001 to become the diocesan vocation director. In 2004, he was installed as pastor at Holy Family parish in San Diego and served there for the next ten years.[6]

In 2014, Pham was transferred to St. Therese Parish in San Diego to serve as pastor there. After two years, he was moved to Good Shepherd Parish in San Diego. In 2017, Bishop Robert McElroy named Pham as episcopal vicar for ethnic and intercultural communities and in 2018 as vicar general. He completed a Licentiate of Sacred Theology at St. Patrick's Seminary in 2020.[6]

Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego

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Coat of arms as auxiliary bishop of San Diego

Pope Francis appointed Pham as an auxiliary bishop of San Diego on June 6, 2023.[9][6] On September 28, 2023, Pham was consecrated as a bishop with Felipe Pulido at St. Therese of Carmel Church in San Diego by McElroy, with Bishops Joseph J. Tyson, and John P. Dolan serving as co-consecrators.[8] As auxiliary bishop, Pham served as the vicar for clergy.[5]

After Cardinal McElroy was appointed as Archbishop of Washington on January 6, 2025, he served as administrator until March 11, when he was installed in Washington. Pham was subsequently elected diocesan administrator on March 17.[10]

On his coat of arms is a beehive, which represents Saint John Chrysostom, his baptismal patron saint.[11]

Bishop of San Diego

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On May 22, 2025, Pham was named Bishop of San Diego and was installed as bishop on July 17, 2025.[12][13] He was Pope Leo XIV's first episcopal appointment for the United States. Furthermore, Pham is the fourth Vietnamese American bishop overall, and the first to head a diocese.[14][15][16]

In June 2025, Pham authored a joint letter with his Auxiliary Bishops Ramón Bejarano and Pulido announcing that a group of clergy and faith leaders would block the detaining of immigrants at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in San Diego on June 20th, World Refugee Day.[4] On that day, Pham led a dozen religious leaders who stopped United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and United States Border Patrol (CBP) agents from detaining immigrants.[17][18]

References

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  1. ↑ Giuse Đặng Văn Kiếm. "ĐTC Phanxicô bổ nhiệm Cha Michael Phạm Minh Cường làm Giám mục phụ tá Giáo phận San Diego" (PDF). VietCatholic News. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Denbow, Ken. "From rocky waters to parish priesthood". SD News. Archived from the original on 13 December 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. 1 2 Mares, Courtney. "Pope Francis names two new auxiliary bishops for San Diego who immigrated to US as teens". EWTN News. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 Odisho, Taylor (2025-06-13). "Pope Leo's First US Bishop Calls on Priests to Escort Asylum Seekers to Court: 'People of Faith Stand with Immigrants'". Latin Times. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Auxiliary Bishop Pham". The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Pope Francis Names New Auxiliary Bishops of San Diego". US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Marian Days 2024 - Thánh Lễ Đại Trào Kính Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam". YouTube. MarianDaysNTM. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Bishop Michael (Micae) Phạm Minh Cường [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  9. ↑ "Resignations and Appointments, 06.06.2023". Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  10. ↑ Grasska, Denis. "Bishop Pham to Serve as Diocese's Administrator". The Southern Cross. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Selvester, Guy. "Two for San Diego". EXARANDORUM: Fr. Guy Selvester's blog of Ecclesiastical Heraldry. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  12. ↑ "Resignations and Appointments, 22.05.2025" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  13. ↑ Stone, Ken (July 18, 2025). "Pham, first Vietnamese American bishop to head US diocese, installed in San Diego". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Pope Leo XIV makes 1st US bishop appointment, fills San Diego vacancy". ABC7 Los Angeles. Associated Press. 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  15. ↑ "San Diego's new Catholic leader is the U.S.'s first Vietnamese American bishop". Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Lần đầu tiên, một người gốc Việt được bổ nhiệm giám mục chính tòa tại Mỹ". Người Việt. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  17. ↑ Coronel, Marie (2025-06-20). "Religious leaders show solidarity during immigration hearings on National Refugee Day". ABC 10 News San Diego KGTV. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  18. ↑ Stone, Ken (2025-06-20). "ICE agents scatter as SD Bishop Pham, other clergy visit immigration court". Times of San Diego. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
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Episcopal succession

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